Communication 3.0, Unleashing the Potential of Communication in Online Education

Currently, CLASSUM is interested in exploring changes in the EdTech industry. CLASSUM carefully analyzed and selected five trending keywords, the last of which is communication.

With the help of recent developments in EdTech, educators can manage student learning more effectively. Learners can take classes more efficiently regardless of time and place while choosing the learning environment. However, online education has significant restrictions regarding digital communication that need to be overcome.

According to a study on college students’ dissatisfaction with online learning, 48% of students responded that they felt less engaged with instructors, and 41% felt a lack of interaction with other students. The study shows social interaction, whether online or offline, is one of the most critical factors in determining learning quality.

Establishing Communication 3.0

Adapting to a new environment and interacting within a new community is essential for all students, ranging from K-12 to college. Social interaction that involves managing conflicts and emotions, coordinating various opinions, and solving problems through discussion is a critical part of learning. Unfortunately, most online learning environments focus only on transferring knowledge or individual learning and do not place as much focus on social interaction. This hinders instructors and learners from making meaningful communication. The online learning environment should expand its priorities to push students toward cognitive and social engagement through communication.

The change in online communication can be compared to the evolution of the web. Web evolution is categorized into three stages: Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0. In Web 1.0, there were limited interactions between websites and users. Web products deliver information directly to users. The users passively received information without being allowed to post reviews or feedback. Web 2.0 had a more flexible environment for users to access information. Unlike in Web 1.0, users could share information and interact with websites. Finally, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been utilized in Web 3.0. AI analyzes data and uses algorithms to improve its accuracy. It enables the web to produce faster, more relevant content and provide appropriate information for particular user needs. With Web 3.0, information became more connected and easily accessible by multiple channels, and users were given greater control.

When we think of the educational context, the development of communication is similar to that of the web. Communication 1.0 refers to the learning environment where instructors directly transfer knowledge to students in a one-sided manner. In Communication 2.0, students start expressing their own opinions and thoughts. Classes become more interactive with increased communication between instructors and students.

What would communication 3.0 look like? Instructors and students can utilize online and in-person learning environments for efficient communication anytime, anywhere. An AI assistant provides personalized curriculums for individual students or groups based on self-analyzed data. Learners retain more ownership over their learning, and the role of instructors will become the facilitation of interaction in and out of classrooms.

Communication 3.0 is not yet being well-implemented in the current online learning environment. Many predict that Communication 3.0 will be further expanded as a new method of communication even after the pandemic era. Recent EdTech innovations are starting to generate and provide tools that increase Communication 3.0 type interaction for teaching and learning. Many educational institutions will be required to utilize AI-based interactive platforms such as CLASSUM to keep up with developing education trends. CLASSUM provides communicative learning environments for instructors and learners to be more engaged cognitively and socially by taking advantage of the latest technology.

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Reference

Lee, Dong Ju & Kim, Misook, 「University students’ perceptions on the practices of online learning in the COVID-19 situation and future directions」, 『Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning』, (2020)

Longqi Yang, David Holtz, Sonia Jaffe, Siddharth Suri, Shilpi Sinha, Jeffrey Weston, Connor Joyce, Neha Shah, Kevin Sherman, Brent Hecht & Jaime Teevan, 「The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers」, 『Nature Human Behaviour』 (2021)

Tom Fleerackers. “Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0 vs Web 3.0 vs Web 4.0 vs Web 5.0 — A bird’s eye on the evolution and definition”, Flat World Business, https://flatworldbusiness.wordpress.com/flat-education/previously/web-1-0-vs-web-2-0-vs-web-3-0-a-bird-eye-on-the-definition/